Albus Potter and the Resurrection Stone
by DigificWriter
Summary: Albus Potter, Harry's youngest son, starts his first year at Hogwarts and becomes caught up in an adventure with roots in events that occurred nineteen years before.
1. Chapter 1: The Visitor

Disclaimer: This work contains characters and settings which are the property of J.K. Rowling and are being used for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended.

Albus Potter and the Resurrection Stone

Written by L.D. Elmer

Based on characters and situations created by J.K. Rowling

Chapter One

The Visitor

Despite the sun being high in the sky, mist still persisted along the jagged coastline. All was still and silent, apart from the waves crashing against the rocks. Suddenly, though, there was a loud 'pop', and a figure – dressed in a long, hooded cloak - appeared. After looking around, the figure raised an arm and pointed out toward the sea, an object in its hand lighting up. A similar light appeared, and, moments later, a squat, weather-beaten barge floated up to the shore and stopped. The cloaked figure approached the barge and was welcomed by another figure, a man, who was seated inside it.

"Shall we be off, then?" the man in the barge asked. The cloaked figure nodded, and, with a strange whooshing noise, the barge vanished…

… only to reappear many miles away near a large jagged island, on which stood a lonely tower of obsidian stone. The tower's base was surrounded by a large wall, of the same stone. The barge approached a long pier of weather-beaten and ancient-looking wood, and the bargeman helped his passenger to step out of the barge and onto solid ground.

"Welcome to Azkaban Prison. Enjoy your visit," he said.

The cloaked figure nodded off-handedly at the bargeman's words and stepped through a large gate set in the wall, traveled up a long path, and entered a door in the base of the tower that had been visible from the shore. Upon entering the door, the cloaked figure was met by a dumpy-looking old man wearing robes that made him look like a woe-begotten old monk. The man bowed to the cloaked figure, and said "So glad you could make it safely, ma'am. I must admit, your owl caught us off guard, but we're always happy to accommodate a member of the Ministry."

"Thank you for your concern and cooperation. As my owl indicated, I desire to speak with prisoner ky201," the cloaked figure replied, speaking for the first time since arriving at the fortress. The words came out in a faint, high-pitched feminine voice. "However, due to the sensitive nature of my business, I would ask that, after being conveyed to the appropriate cell block, I be allowed to speak with the prisoner alone and uninterrupted.

The dumpy man seemed caught off guard by the request, but quickly composed himself and nodded. "The prisoner you mentioned in your owl is located in a cell on floor 15. Shall we proceed?"

The dumpy man led the cloaked figure – now identified as a woman by her voice – through a door and up a long flight of stairs. After several minutes of walking, the two exited the stairs on a wide landing lit by torches. The dumpy man approached two men, who were seated at a rickety table playing a game of chess, and addressed them.

"Walbourne, Alvey, Miss Edgecombe here has traveled a long way from the Ministry of Magic on an urgent matter of business concerning prisoner ky201, and has requested that she be allowed to speak to the prisoner – outside the cell, of course – alone. Please escort her to the prisoner's cell and return to your posts," he said.

One of the men, a tall, thin fellow with brown hair that fell to his shoulders, nodded. "This way, Miss Edgecombe," he said, taking the woman – Miss Edgecombe – by the arm and leading her down a long corridor. They had only gone about halfway when he stopped.

"This is prisoner ky201's cell. Please remember that you are not to enter the cell for any reason, nor are you to speak to any of the other prisoners housed on this floor. When you have finished your business, return to the reception area, and I or my partner will show you the way out. I must also ask you to surrender your wand," he said.

Miss Edgecombe sighed, but reached into her cloak and pulled out a thin wooden stick, about 7 inches long and made of dark wood, which she handed to the man. He tucked it into the black robes he was wearing, and then turned and walked back down the corridor and out of sight.

When the man was gone, Miss Edgecombe leaned into the door of the cell and spoke.

"It's me," she said. "All is in readiness. My position at Hogwarts has been secured, and plans are in place to search the forest. I promise you, the stone's location will be found by the end of the school year."

From inside the cell, a high-pitched, squeaky feminine voice replied "Excellent. I knew I could count on you, my dear, just like all those years ago. Now, I believe you are overdue at Hogwarts. Leave me, and only return when you have found the stone."

Miss Edgecombe didn't reply, but turned on her heel and walked back down the corridor to the area where the two men – Walbourne and Alvey – were once again engrossed in their chess game. The tall, thin man stood up when he saw her and approached, handing her back her wand. She took it, tucked it back into her cloak, and walked off, back down the stairs, out of the tower, and back down to the shore, where she raised her wand and muttered "Lumos". A bright light appeared and arched out to sea, and moments later, the barge and its operator reappeared.

"I trust your visit was a pleasant one, yes?" he asked. Miss Edgecombe nodded and stepped onto the barge, which vanished again as quickly as it had appeared.


	2. Chapter 2: The First of September

Chapter Two

The First of September

Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first of September was crisp and golden as an apple, and as the little family bobbed across the rumbling road toward the great sooty station, the fumes of car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs in the cold air. Two large cages rattled on top of the laden trolleys the parents were pushing; the owls inside them hooted indignantly, and the redheaded girl trailed tearfully behind her brothers, clutching her father's arm.

"It won't be long, and you'll be going too," Harry Potter, famous Wizard and Head of the Ministry of Magic's Auror Department, said to his daughter, Lily.

"Two years," Lily sniffed. "But I want to go now!"

The commuters stared curiously at the owls as the family wove its way toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten. As they got closer, a boy's voice drifted over the surrounding clamor.

"I won't! I won't be in Slytherin", a small boy with mussed-up black hair and bright green eyes said. From behind him came the sound of hissing, followed by a cry of "SLYTHERIN!!!," this last delivered in a low-pitched gravelly voice.

"James, give it a rest," the boys' mother, Ginny Weasley Potter, said from behind.

A red-haired boy with freckles and blue eyes appeared, grinning from ear to ear.

"I only said he might be," the red-haired boy, who was obviously the James in question, said. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth—" James fell silent at the glare that his mother was shooting him.

"Go on through, James," she said.

James took the trolley from his mother and broke into a run straight for the barrier. A moment later, just when it seemed as if he might crash headlong into it, he had vanished from sight.

"Your turn, Al," Ginny said, addressing the black-haired boy.

"You'll write to me, won't you?" Albus asked.

"Every day, if you want us to," said Ginny.

Albus looked horrified. "Not every day," he said quickly. "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."

Ginny and Harry both smiled. "We wrote to James three times a week last year," Ginny said.

"And you don't want to believe everything James tells you about Hogwarts," Harry put in. "He likes a laugh, your brother."

Side by side, Harry, Ginny, and Albus pushed the second trolley forward, gathering speed. As they reached the barrier, Albus winced, but no collision came. Instead, the family emerged onto a large, crowded platform, which was obscured by clouds of thick white steam which were emanating from a giant scarlet train. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, and there was no sign of James.

"Where are they?" Albus asked, peering anxiously at the hazy forms they passed as he and his parents made their way down the platform.

"We'll find them," Ginny said reassuringly.

Although the vapor was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody's faces, Harry, Ginny, and Albus soon pushed their way through the crowds and came across a group of four people standing alongside the very last carriage.

"Hi," Albus said, sounding immensely relieved.

His 'hi' was echoed by a chorus of similar responses, the last coming from a small girl who was already dressed in black robes instead of the street clothes that Albus was wearing. She beamed at him as Harry and Ginny embraced her parents.

"Parked all right," the man, Harry's best friend and fellow Auror, Ron Weasley, asked. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you?" he asked his wife teasingly. "She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner."

"No, I didn't," Hermione Granger-Weasley, Harry's other best friend and Ron's wife, said. "I had complete faith in you."

Ron took one side of Albus's trunk, and he and Harry picked it up and carried it onto the train, balancing it to avoid causing the cage on top of it to crash to the floor.

"As a matter of fact, I did Confund him," Ron whispered as he and Harry set Albus's trunk down. "I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that."

Ron and Harry exited the train to find their two youngest children, red-haired Lily and her equally red-haired male cousin, Hugo, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. From the snippets of conversation that reached Harry's ears, he could tell they were discussing Hogwarts and arguing about which of the school's four Houses they might be sorted into when it came time for them to attend.

Ron walked over and bent down to give Lily a hug, catching part of her conversation with his son. He looked at her dead serious and said, "No pressure, but if you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you."

"Ron," came an indignant huff from above and behind him.

Lily and Hugo laughed, but Rose turned to Albus and exchanged a fearful, solemn glance.

"He doesn't mean it," Ginny said, noticing her son and niece's expressions. Ron, however, didn't hear this, as he was no longer paying attention, but instead staring at a family of three who had suddenly appeared through the mist and were standing a few feet away.

"Look who it is," he said to Harry.

Harry turned to stare in the direction Ron was pointing. Draco Malfoy, an old classmate of Harry, Ron, and Hermione's, was standing there with his wife and son, coat buttoned up to his throat. His hair was receding somewhat, which emphasized his pointed chin. Harry shifted his eyes from Draco to the boy standing next to him, and it was as if he was looking at a miniature version of his former rival, since the boy resembled his father as much as Albus resembled him (Harry). Draco caught sight of the audience he and his family had suddenly acquired, nodded curtly in their direction, and turned away, pulling his wife with him as their son hopped on to the train.

"So that's little Scorpius," Ron said to Harry. He turned to his daughter and said, "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."

"Ron, for heaven's sake," Hermione said, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school."

"You're right, sorry," Ron said; then, unable to help himself, he added "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."

Before anyone could reply, their attention was captured by an excited "Hey!" and James reappeared, having divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trolley.

"Teddy's back there," he said breathlessly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing?"

He gazed up at the adults, and continued. "Snogging Victoire!" he said breathlessly.

When the adults didn't respond, he looked disappointed, and said "Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin ! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing ---"

"You interrupted them?" Ginny asked. "You are so like Ron ---"

"--- and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!" James added as though worried he hadn't made himself clear.

"Oh it would be lovely if they got married!" Lily whispered ecstatically. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"

"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," Harry said. "Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?"

"Yeah," James said enthusiastically, picking up on the conversation. "I don't mind sharing with Al --- Teddy could have my room!"

"No," said Harry firmly, "you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished."

He glanced at the battered old watch on his arm and said "It's nearly eleven. You'd better get on board."

Ginny hugged James and said "Don't forget to give Neville our love!"

"Mum! I can't give a professor love," James said.

"But you know Neville ---" Ginny said.

James rolled his eyes and said "Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him love…."

Shaking his head at his mother's foolishness, he vented his frustration by aiming a kick at Albus, then allowed his mother to kiss him and gave his father a fleeting hug,

"See you later, Al. Watch out for the threstrals," he said as he boarded the rapidly filling train.

"I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!" Albus said, but James was too busy waving to pay attention.

"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," Harry told Albus. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."

Ginny kissed Albus goodbye and said, "See you at Christmas." Harry also gave his son a hug and said "Bye, Al. Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you've learned how. And don't let James wind you up."

"What if I'm in Slytherin?" Albus asked in a hushed tone.

Harry smiled at his son, realizing that only the moment of departure could have forced Albus to reveal how great and sincere his fear of ending up in Slytherin House was. He crouched down so that Albus's face was slightly above his own, and whispered "Albus Severus, you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin, and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

"But just say --- Albus protested.

"--- then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it. It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account," Harry said.

"Really?" Albus asked, surprised.

"It did for me," Harry said. He had never told any of his children that before, and he saw the wonder in Albus's face when he said it. But now the doors were slamming all along the scarlet train, and the blurred outlines of parents were swarming forward for final kisses, last-minute reminders.

Albus jumped into the carriage and Ginny closed the door behind him. Students were hanging from the windows nearest them. A great number of faces, both on the train and off, suddenly seemed to be turned toward Harry.

"Why are they all staring?" Albus demanded as he and Rose craned around to look at the other students.

"Don't let it worry you," Ron said. "it's me. I'm extremely famous."

Albus, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed. The train began to move, and Harry walked alongside it, watching his son's thin face, already ablaze with excitement. Harry kept smiling and waving, even though it was like a little bereavement, watching his son glide away from him. The last trace of steam evaporated in the autumn air as the train rounded a corner, leaving Harry standing on the platform with his hand still raised in farewell.


	3. Chapter 3: On the Express

Chapter Three

On the Express

Albus stared out the window at his father until his face disappeared around a corner. Beside him, Rose tapped him on the shoulder and said "Come on. Let's find a place to sit."

She moved off down the corridor, with Albus following. About halfway down the carriage, a door popped open, and James stuck his head out. He saw Albus and Rose, but ignored them, and the two moved on further, finally stopping at the last door in the row. Rose knocked, but only waited briefly before opening the door and sticking her head inside, startling the two occupants inside. One was a girl with dark, curly hair, and the other was the white haired boy Albus and Rose had seen on the platform, the one that Ron had referred to as Scorpius.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" Rose asked. "Everywhere else is full."

"Uh," the girl hesitated, casting a glance at Scorpius. "Sure," she said finally. "I'm Morgan."

"I'm Al, and that's my cousin Rose," Al said as he and Rose came into the compartment and closed the door. They both took seats across from Morgan.

"You're a Potter and a Weasley, right?" Scorpius said suddenly. There was no hint of sarcasm or contempt in his voice; instead, he sounded a bit awed and afraid.

Rose looked like she wanted to tell him off for his impertinence, so Scorpius said "I didn't mean to be rude. My father Draco went to school with your parents, so that's how I knew."

"We saw you and your parents on the platform," Albus said. Scorpius got an uncomfortable look on his face, so Albus changed the subject. "Any idea what House you'll be in?" he asked.

"Slytherin... unfortunately," Scorpius said. "My entire family has been, although I do think my father wouldn't mind it too terribly if I wasn't. I expect I will be, though."

" Most of our family has been in Gryffindor, but I was reading Hogwarts: A History and thought that Ravenclaw House might be good," Rose said. "That old hat will probably keep to tradition, though, and put me in Gryffindor."

"You could ask the Hat to put you in Ravenclaw," Albus said suddenly.

Rose looked at him in surprise. "I didn't know you could choose your own House. There isn't anything about it in Hogwarts: A History."

"My dad told me that he asked the Hat not to put him in Slytherin, and said that if I was worried about being in a certain House, the hat would take that into account and might put me in whatever House I wanted to be in if I asked it to," Albus said.

Realizing that Morgan had not yet entered the conversation, Scorpius turned to her and asked, "What about you? What House do you think you'll be in?"

Morgan hesitated before answering. "I don't know that much about Hogwarts, actually. I'm Muggle-born, and didn't even know Hogwarts existed until I got my acceptance letter."

The door to the compartment opened at this point, and an elderly witch poked her head in. "Anything from the trolley, my dears?" she asked.

"I'll take some Chocolate Frogs and some licorice wands, please," Albus said. "You guys want anything?" he asked Rose, Scorpius, and Morgan.

"I'll take some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans," Rose said. Scorpius groaned and said "I can't believe you like those things."

"You want anything, Morgan?" Albus asked.

"I-is there anything 'normal'?" Morgan asked, coming to the door and speaking directly to the trolley lady.

"Muggle-born, dear? You might like the Pumpkin Pasties," the lady said, smiling.

"I'll try one of those, then," Morgan said.

"You ought to get some Cauldron Cakes and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, too," Albus said.

Rose and Scorpius had been fishing in their trunks, and handed him some money, but Morgan looked a bit crestfallen as she apparently realized that she didn't have the money to pay for her snacks. "I-I don't have any money with me," she said sadly.

"They're on me," Albus said, handing the witch some of his own money along with Rose and Scorpius'. The witch handed him back the requested sweets, which he set down on the seat. The four then sat down and started digging into their snacks as the trolley witch closed the door and moved on down the train.

Scorpius grabbed a Chocolate Frog , opened the package, and stuffed the frog into his mouth without bothering to look at the card. Rose, however, did, and grinned.

"Al, did you know that our parents have Chocolate Frog cards?" she asked, holding up the card she'd grabbed from Scorpius' package. A picture of her own father, Ron, stared back at them. Flipping the card over, she read it aloud: 'Ronald Weasley: is most famous for the aid he provided Harry Potter in destroying Lord Voldemort. One of only two living people (the other being Harry Potter) to have opened the famous Chamber of Secrets; also famously wielded the sword of Gryffindor during the Second Voldemort War. He was also instrumental in reinventing Azkaban with out the archaic and inhumane use Dementors. Currently he lives in London with his wife and two children.'

'I've got one of my dad," Albus said, showing her a card he'd pulled from the Chocolate Frog package he'd just opened. He stared at the miniature photograph of his father for a second, then flipped the card over and read 'Harry Potter: is most famous for historically defeating the most powerful dark wizard of the 20th century, Lord Voldemort. Also he is the only known survivor of the killing curse. He was also the last known master of the legendary Elder wand. He has the singular honor of having his in print more then any living wizard ever. He currently lives in just outside of London with his wife and three children.'

Morgan, who had by now finished her Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes and was chewing a piece of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, joined the others in opening Chocolate Frogs and looking at the cards, which were interesting to her only because of the fact that the pictures on them were seemingly alive and could move. By the time the four finished opening their last Chocolate Frog, several hours had passed, and they were down to their last Frog. Albus grabbed for it, pulled off the package, and was about to read the card when he suddenly realized that Scorpius was missing. Rose and Morgan hadn't seemed to notice, and were engrossed in what Albus thought might be a conversation about the book 'Hogwarts: A History'. Stuffing the last Frog into his mouth, Albus put the card down on the seat with the others, opened the door of the carriage, and went walking down the corridor in search of his new friend.

The sounds of student chatter reached him as he walked, but they were soon drowned out by the sound of laughter from up ahead. Although he was unsure of why, Albus broke into a run and soon found the source of the laugher. His brother James and a group of three other boys were gathered around what looked like the form of a small boy who was hanging upside down in the air. As Al came nearer, he caught a glimpse of white hair, and suddenly realized who the boy was: Scorpius. He moved forward, and drew close enough to hear what was being said.

"Come on, Scorpsy. Say it. Say I'm a 'pureblooded git whose parents are both dark Wizards' and we'll let you down," one of the boys, a tall, ruddy-looking boy with straw-colored hair and a haughty air, said.

"Leave him alone," Albus said suddenly, making his presence known. The boy who was tormenting Scorpius didn't seem to hear him, but James did.

"Go away, Al," he said.

"What are you doing?" Albus asked.

"Just having a bit of a lark with our new friend here," James said, trying to ape the straw-haired boy's haughty air.

"Leave him alone," Albus said again. "He's my friend, and you have no right to pick on him like that."

The straw-haired boy turned around, having apparently heard Albus call Scorpius his friend, and stared at him.

"Who's this, now, James?" he asked, pointing at Al.

"He's my brother, and we'll leave him out of this," James said.

"I'll say what we'll do and what we won't do," the straw-haired boy said, his demeanor turning cold. "Name's Phinneas Bardesley. I thought I heard you just call that white-haired git back there your friend. Why would you want to be friends with the likes of that? In case you didn't know, he's a Malfoy, and they're about the worst wizards imaginable, except of course for the man they supported, that Voldy-whats-his-name".

"I already know he's a Malfoy, and I don't care; he's my friend, and I told you to leave him alone," Albus said, suddenly feeling a lot braver than he had just minutes before, confident that his brother would back him up. James, however, took that moment to be disappointingly characteristic, and said "I don't think you should be friends with anybody with the last name Malfoy, Al. If mom and dad found out..."

"Mom and Dad went to school with Scorpius's dad," Al said, "and they nodded to each other on the platform when we ran into them after you'd gone."

James looked a bit confused at this, as if whatever internal justification he'd been using to excuse the way he, Bardseley, and the other boy were treating Scorpius had just been squashed, but he didn't have much time to sort himself out because Bardesley and the other boy had closed in around Al, who suddenly found himself dangling upside down next to Scorpius.

"James, come on and show us that neat hex you were talking about. Y'know, the one you said your mom invented," Bardesely said. "You can use your brother as practice before we try it out on Scorpsy here."

Before James could make a move, though, a tinny voice asked "What's going on here?"

James stared down the corridor at a tall, bookish-looking girl with long red hair. She was already dressed in her Hogwarts robes, and had a large badge with the letter 'P' on it pinned to her chest. She had also drawn her wand and was holding it in the air.

"I asked 'What's going on here?'," the girl said, coming closer. She suddenly caught sight of James and yelled "James Sirius Potter, I should've expected to find you causing trouble… is that Al? How could you do this to your own brother?"

"Go away, Luce," James said. "We're just having a bit of a lark."

"Don't give me that 'we're just having a bit of a lark' excuse, James. I'm you r cousin and I can see right through you. Plus, I'm a prefect, so that means you have to do what I tell you. And I'm telling you to let Al and that other boy down and go back to your carriages. We're almost to the school, and you need to be changed when we get there," the girl said.

"Okay, fine," James grumbled. He pointed his hand at Al and Scorpius, and they dropped to the floor of the train car.

"Come on, guys. Let's get back to our compartment," he said to Bardesley and the other boy.

"What'd you do that for?" Bardesely asked. "I was just about to tell off that prefect, and then we could get on with showing your brother what happens when you associate with people like the Malfoys."

"That 'prefect' just so happens to be my cousin, Lucy Weasley, and if she told my parents, not to mention my uncles, including her father, what we were doing, I'd be in so much trouble that Hogwarts detention would look like a walk in the park in comparison," James said.

He walked off, with Bardesley and the other boy following reluctantly. When they were gone, Albus picked himself up off the floor and approached Lucy.

"Thanks, Luce," he said.

"What was that all about, anyway?" Lucy asked. "And who's your friend?"

"His name's Scorpius Malfoy, and I'm not exactly sure what that was all about," Albus said. "Scorp?"

He looked around, and found that Scorpius had disappeared.

"You'd better get back to your compartment," Lucy said. "We ARE almost to Hogwarts, and you need to change and be ready to go on the boats with the other first years. I hope you find your friend, and I hope you end up in Gryffindor, since we need some honorable and brave people to offset the presence of gits like your brother and those other two."

Albus laughed and walked back to the compartment he'd been sharing with Rose and Morgan, whom he found dressed and waiting for him.

"Where did you go?" Rose asked concernedly. "And where's Scorpius?"

"I went to see where Scorpius had gone," Albus said. "and found James and a couple of other boys tormenting him, and ended up joining him when they turned on me. The other two boys, I mean, not James," he added, seeing the look on Rose's face. "I think they were going to use my mom's Bat Bogey hex on us if Lucy hadn't shown up when she did. Scorpius was gone by the time I finished talking to her."

By this time, the train had noticeably slowed, so Morgan, Albus, and Rose settled back down to watch out the windows for the first sign of Hogsmeade station, hoping that Scorpius would come back and they could all disembark together. However, by the time the train entered the village, Scorpius still hadn't come back, so the three exited the train together.


	4. Chapter 4: Albus' Choice

Chapter Four

Albus' Choice

The weather outside was cold and chilly, and a light rain had started falling. Albus, Rose, and Morgan collected their trunks and other things and began moving along the train platform, following a crowd of other students.

"Firs' Years', firs' years, this way," a gruff voice said, rising above the clamor and din.

"That's Hagrid," Albus said. "This way, guys, come on." He led Morgan and Rose along the platform, and they soon caught sight of Hagrid. The gigantic Hogwarts gamekeeper looked much the same as he always had, except for the fact that a bit of grey had begun creeping into his hair and beard. He was standing in front of a crowd of first year students, most of whom looked scared and cold. Albus couldn't see Scorpius in the crowd, but he, Morgan, and Rose pushed forward until they were at the back of the line.

"Inter the boats now," Hagrid said to the students, who started following his instructions. He caught sight of Rose, Al, and Morgan, and waved.

"I knew you two'd be along," he said. "Into the boats with you now."

Al, Rose, and Morgan hung back a bit, waiting until most of the boats had filled, before they finally spotted Scorpius sitting by himself and looking rather forlorn.

"Hey, Scorp," Al said as he, Rose, and Morgan clambered into the boat with him.

Scorpius didn't say anything, but turned away and spent the majority of the journey from Hogsmeade up to the Hogwarts castle staring out into the darkness. It was for this reason that he missed the sight of Hogwarts castle, lit by what seemed to be thousands of lights, as it appeared suddenly out of the darkness like some giant flaming beast. The boats carrying Al and the other first years passed under the cliff on which the castle stood and pulled up to a docking area lit by torches. Hagrid led the students up a long flight of stone steps and into the castle itself, where they paused in the grand entrance hall. Al and Rose, despite having seen pictures of the space before, stared in awe at the stone walls lined with torches and the marble staircase that led to the upper floors, with Rose nudging Morgan to whisper interesting tidbits of information she'd gleaned from 'Hogwarts: A History'.

Al's attention was called away from the magnificence of the grand entrance hall by the arrival of a familiar face: his family's good friend Neville Longbottom, Herbology teacher, Head of Gryffindor House, and Deputy Headmaster.

"Everyone here, Hagrid?" he asked. Hagrid did a quick headcount and nodded. Professor Longbottom said "I'll take them from here, then," and led the first-years across the entrance hall and into a small, empty chamber.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Neville said when all of the first-years had crowded into the room and the door had been closed. "In a few moments, you will enter the Great Hall and participate in the Sorting Ceremony, in which you will be separated into the four Houses in which you will spend most of your time here at the school. But first, a brief history of the four Houses." He paused, pulled out a scroll of parchment, and continued, "Long ago, four of the brightest and most accomplished Wizards and witches in all of Britain came together to establish a place of learning in which young Wizarding minds could be educated. The four founders each identified a particular trait which they valued in the students they took under their tutelage, and divided students with these particular traits into different houses. Wizarding students who demonstrated traits such as courage, determination, and strength of heart became members of the house founded by Godric Gryffindor; students who demonstrated determination, resourcefulness, and a certain disregard for rules became members of the house founded by Salazar Slytherin; students who demonstrated intelligence and wisdom were chosen to be part of the house founded by Rowena Ravenclaw; and students who demonstrated a willingness to work hard were chosen to be part of the house founded by Helga Hufflepuff. This tradition of sorting students according to their dominant traits continues to this day, thus ensuring that the legacy left us by Hogwarts' founders will live on. Now, it's time for the Sorting to begin. Please follow me through this door."

He put the parchment away and said "I'll be back in a few moments. Please form a line, and I'll return for you shortly." He left the room, leaving Al and the other first-years alone. Some of them stared in wide-eyed awe and fear at the room around them, but Al didn't have much time to follow suit because before he knew it, Professor Longbottom had returned. "We're ready to begin the Sorting Ceremony," he said. He opened the door and led the first years out into the Great Hall. The vast room was lit by thousands of candles which floated over four long tables, and the ceiling was bewitched to mimic the stormy weather outside the castle. Professor Longbottom led the first year students along the front of the hall and stopped in front of a fifth long table, behind which the teachers were seated. He lined the first-years up so that they were facing out toward the rest of the students. As he stared out at the hundreds of faces staring back at him, Albus suddenly found himself feeling very afraid and nervous. As he tried to collect his nerves, his attention was diverted by the sight of Professor Longbottom placing a small stool in front of the table, onto which he laid a patched, frayed, and extremely dirty wizard's hat. Albus stared at it despite having seen pictures of it before, and, as the other first-year started to follow his lead, a tear on the hat's brim opened wide like a mouth, and it began to sing:

I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat, and as you can plainly tell

I've been around for many years, and know my job so well

I take a look inside the head of each new Hogwarts student

And based on what I find therein, I place them where it's prudent

That's been my job since days of old, yet it was nearly ended

Some nineteen years ago last May

When upon Hogwarts dark forces had descended

An evil man had made it clear

That I had been replaced

And the duties which I'd held so dear

Were viewed with great disgrace

And if that were not bad enough

Believe me it gets worse

This hat you see before you

Was torched by a foul curse

Yet in the end good will prevail

Or so the stories say

And that is why, as you can see

I'm here again this day

Yet since that day something has changed

For division has its cost

In order to remind us all of what was nearly lost

I still sort each student as they come

Yet implore them to befriend

Anyone not of their House

And will until the end

The hat finished its song, and the whole hall broke into applause. Professor Longbottom stepped forward with a long roll of parchment in his hands.

"When I call your name, please come forward and place the Hat on your head," he said. "Alvey, Abigail."

A small girl with wispy brown hair stepped forward and put the hat on her head. After a brief moment's pause, the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table, which was on the far left, broke into applause, and Albus followed Abigail Alvey with his eyes as she walked toward it and sat down, spotting his brother James, his two friends from the train, and even his cousin Lucy amongst the throng of seated students. He also caught sight of a pale ghost dressed in a ruff and tights, whom he recognized as the Gryffindor house ghost Nearly-Headless Nick.

"Bardesley, Ashlynne," Professor Longbottom read. A girl who bore a bit of a resemblance to Phinneas, the ruddy-faced boy he'd confronted on the Hogwarts Express, got up and put the hat on her head.

"SLYTHERIN!" shouted the hat. Ashlynne Bardesley got up and walked toward the table set immediately across from the Gryffindor table, which broke into scattered applause, and he saw her look toward the Gryffindor table and wave, presumably at Phinneas, whom Albus assumed was her brother.

"Boot, Melody," became the first new Ravenclaw, as did "Corner, Rebecca", while "Cotteril, Tristan", a dark-complexioned boy, joined Ashlynne Bardesley in Slytherin, and then Professor Longbottom called out "Faye, Morgan." Morgan walked forward, cast a glance at Albus, and put on the hat. However, instead of an immediate proclamation, there was a silence that seemed to last for several minutes. Finally, the hat shouted "SLYTHERiN!", and Morgan got up and timidly walked over to the Slytherin tbale, finding a seat next to two twin girls who looked to be a few years older than her.

The sorting continued, with Albus only half paying attention, but when he heard Professor Longbottom call out "Malfoy, Scorpius", he suddenly realized that the hall, which had been silent, was suddenly filled with noise and whispered mutterings. He watched Scorpius approach the stool, put the hat on his head, and sit down. As it had with Morgan, the hat seemed to take a very long time before it shouted "SLYTHERIN!" Scorpius seemed a bit dejected by the announcement, but got up anyway and walked over to the Slytherin table, where he sat down next to Morgan, clearly doing his best to ignore the whispers and mutterings around him.

Several more students were sorted, and then Professor Longbottom called out "Potter, Albus Severus". The hall again seemed to Albus to be filled with sound, and, when he tried to move towards the stool, he found that his legs wouldn't work right. It was only when Professor Longbottom called out "Potter, Albus Severus" a second time that Albus found he was able to move. He quickly walked over to the stool and put the hat on his head, trying not to pay attention to the murmuring that was still going on in the hall. Soon, however, he became aware of a 'presence' inside his head, and he heard a gravelly voice say "Another Potter, eh? You're an interesting one, you are. Very much like your father, and not just in appearance. You seem tailor-made for Gryffindor, but you would do well in Slytherin… yes, very well indeed. So, where to put you, hmm?"

Albus almost thought 'put me in Gryffindor', but then he remembered what his father had told him before they'd said goodbye back on Platform 9 and ¾, and thought about Scorpius and Morgan and the enjoyable few hours they had spent together on the Hogwarts Express. He also thought about how James had nearly went along with using the Bat Bogey hex on Scorpius, and made a decision that he wasn't sure he was later going to regret. 'Put me in Slytherin', he thought, and heard "What's that? You want to be put in Slytherin? Are you sure about this, Mr. Potter?" 'I'm sure,' Albus thought, and he heard the hat shout "SLYTHERIN!", which resulted in noise once again filling the hall. As Albus got up off the stool and took the hat off his head, he thought he heard James's voice shouting "I told you so", but he suddenly didn't care. He simply walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down next to Scorpius and Morgan, who seemed to be some of the only students in the entire hall who were cheering the hat's decision to put him in Slytherin.

The hat's decision to put Albus in Slytherin seemed to serve as a domino effect, as the next several students to be sorted also became Slytherins. Then Professor Longbottom called out "Weasley, Rose", and it wasn't long before the hat had shouted "RAVENCLAW!" Albus glanced at Rose and saw that she was grinning from ear to ear the way that her aunt Hermione did whenever something had gone right with her work at the Ministry. Albus smiled, and watched Rose practically bolt across the hall and take a seat at the Ravenclaw table next to a tall girl with silver-blonde hair whom Albus recognized as their eldest cousin, Victoire.

As Rose took her seat, Professor Longbottom packed up the stool and the hat and carried them out of the hall while a squat little woman with fly-away grey hair and a hat that looked like it had seen better days got up from the teachers' table and approached the spot where Albus and the other first-years had stood. She cleared her throat, causing the hall to quiet down, and said "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. For the first-years who have now joined our ranks, I am Professor Sprout, Headmistress of Hogwarts. I know that all of you must be hungry, but before we begin tonight's feast, there are some matters that need attending to. First, I would like all of you to welcome our newest staff member, Professor Edgecombe, who is joining us after a successful career at the Ministry of Magic, and will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Secondly, I must remind all students that the neighboring forest and certain other areas of the Hogwarts ground s are forbidden. I have also been asked to remind you that no magic should be used inside the school. And finally, I would I would encourage you to choose the people you would associate with based on their inner qualities, not on the reputations – past or present – of their respective Houses. Now, let the feast begin."

She sat back down, and Albus looked down at the plate in front of him, which was suddenly filled with food. As he reached for the mashed potatoes, he caught a tall, older boy looking at him from down the table. He looked up at the boy, but before he could say anything, Scorpius did instead.

"It's not polite to stare," he drawled icily.

The boy immediately averted his gaze, and stammered out a "Sorry. Didn't mean to be rude. It's just, I never thought we'd get a Potter in Slytherin. They're all Gryffindor through and through. I'm Chane, by the way. Chane Rowley. I'm a fifth year and a prefect, so if you ever need anything, just ask."

"What was that hat's song and Professor Sprout's admonishment all about?" Morgan asked, turning toward Chane.

Chane looked at her. "You've got to be Muggle-born to ask that question," he said, and added quickly "Not that there's anything wrong with that… at least anymore. I'm Muggle-born myself. Y'see, for a very long time, Slytherin had a reputation as the house famous for turning out some of the worst members of Wizarding society, including the worst of them all, Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who nineteen years ago tried to incite an ethnic war and purge the wizarding world of anyone who wasn't of pure wizarding blood, but especially Muggle-borns. He even came here to Hogwarts, and basically took the school over since several of his followers had taken teaching positions here. Although your dad," he paused, glancing at Albus, "the famous Harry Potter, managed to take him down, it didn't do a whole lot to bolster people's confidence in Slytherin, especially since only a few students from that House stuck around to opposed Voldemort and give Harry Potter the time he needed to take him down. Even now, Slytherin House still has a reputation as being famous for dark wizardry and looking out for our own hides above anything else, even loyalty. I've heard that that hat used to sing different things every year at the start of term, but now it says the same thing pretty much every year. Nobody really pays that much attention, though, and every year us Slytherins continue to be the pariahs of the school, looked down on in contempt by the other Houses or simply avoided altogether. We haven't won a House cup in the time I've been here, and the Quidditch Cup hasn't been Slytherin's in at least seven years."

As he listened to Chane's story, Albus suddenly realized that there was more to Phinneas Bardesley's comments to Scorpius on the train, and deduced from them and Scorpius' reaction that his family had somehow been involved in the events that Chane described, and found himself wondering which side they had supported. He resolved to try and find a way to ask Scorpius about it later, but put it out of his mind and started eating.

When everyone had finally had their fill of dinner and the golden plates and goblets had been cleared, Professor Sprout stood up again and said "I bid you all good night. Classes begin in the morning, so please try and get some rest."

Chane stood up and said "First years, follow me. I'll show you to the common room and your dorms." Albus, Morgan, and Scorpius got up and followed Chane and their fellow first years out of the Great Hall, through a door, and down a long flight of bare stone steps into the dungeons of the school, with Chane pausing every now and then to see that he hadn't lost anyone. Finally, Chane stopped in front of a bare stone wall, bereft of any markings whatsoever, and said "Severus Snape". A door, which nobody had noticed until then, slid back, and Chane led the students into a long, low, underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were suspended by chains. The room was deserted, but Albus could see a number of green-upholstered armchairs, and even some high-backed wooden chairs with green cushions, most of which were positioned around a green-tinted fire that was lit in the grate beneath an elaborately carved mantelpiece.

"Girls, your dorms are that way," Chane said, indicating a door – under an ornately carved and stylized 'S' that led off the common room to the left. "Boys, this way," he said, leading Albus, Scorpius, and three other boys through a door that led off the common room to the right and down a long, dimly lit corridor, stopping a few feet inside the door. "Through here," he said. Albus and the other boys went through another door, and found a large room filled with five four-poster beds lined with deep green hangings that looked more like tapestries than bed curtains. Their trunks had been placed at the foot of each bed. Albus crossed over to his bed and sat down on it, watching as his dormmates did likewise. He noticed that, although Scorpius's things had been placed at the foot of the bed nearest to him, his new friend sat down on a bed at the far end of the room.

"That's my bed," came a voice. The dark-complexioned boy Albus had seen at the Sorting, whose name he thought might be Tristan, was trying to force Scorpius off of the bed.

"Tristan, knock it off," another boy said. "If he wants that bed so badly, let him have it."

"He might be a Malfoy, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give him my bed just because he's ashamed to be here," Tristan said. "You are, right? I mean, I saw how disappointed you were when the hat put you in Slytherin. I fancy you'd like being in Gryffindor more, or maybe Hufflepuff?"

"If your family legacy was filled with shameful actions, you wouldn't want to be in Slytherin either," Scorpius suddenly shouted, standing up so that he was nose-to-nose with Tristan. Yes, my family supported Lord Voldemort, but we've done a lot since then to make up for it. Yet every time the name of Malfoy is mentioned in polite society, it is met with whispers and off-hand glances. My parents tried to warn me that the same thing might happen here, but I didn't want to believe them. Turns out maybe I should have. Ironically, the only three people who haven't balked at my name are a Potter, a Weasley, and a Muggle-born." He glanced at Al as he said this last bit, and Al smiled at him reassuringly.

"Knock it off, Tristan," the other boy said again. "You can take my bed." He got up and walked over to the bed next to the one that Scorpius had sat down on, and stretched forth his hand. "I'm Colin Rowley. My brother Chane's the prefect that showed us how to get here," he said. "And I don't think you need to be ashamed of anything."

Scorpius smiled and shook Colin's hand, then looked at Albus. "See if you can switch beds as well; since you're one of the only friends I've got, we might as well be closer together."

"Do you mind if I switch?" Albus asked the room's fifth occupant, a dark-haired boy who hadn't spoken but was busily reading a book. The boy nodded, got up, and flopped down on Albus's bed while Albus dragged his trunk to the bed that the boy had previously been sitting on, which was next to the one that Colin had taken.

Once everything had been settled, Albus pulled on his pajamas, got into bed, and yanked the tapestry-like curtains shut on his bed. It had been a long day, and he was tired. He shut his eyes, but as he did so, he couldn't help but wonder what his father and mother would think when he owled them and told them he'd actually ASKED to be in Slytherin House.


	5. Chapter 5: A Disastrous Morning

Chapter Five

A Disastrous Morning

Albus woke the next morning to the sound of someone banging something rather loudly. With a groan, he opened his eyes and pulled back his bed curtains to see a wild-looking little man hovering near the foot of the bed, banging on the posts with what looked like a Quidditch Beater's bat, and dodging objects which were being thrown at him by Scorpius and Colin. Tristan and the boy Albus had switched beds with the night before were gone.

"Time to wake up, icle firstys," the little man cackled.

"Get out of here, you crazy thing," Colin shouted, lobbing a rolled-up sock at the man. The sock hit the man in the head, but passed through him and hit the floor. He turned toward Colin and actually threw the bat at him, but Colin deflected it by pulling his bed curtains closed.

"Let's get out of here," Albus said. He got up and moved toward the door, but the little man suddenly moved and cut him off. Albus decided that it might be best to try and force his way through, backed up, and ran at the man, only to go slamming into the door when the man vanished. Albus fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder, which had taken the brunt of the impact, and was about to try and force himself back up with one arm when the pearly- white, slightly transparent form of a man, dressed in a doublet and tights that were covered with shimmery silver blood, floated into his vision.

"Look at that," Scorpius said. "The Bloody Baron, our House ghost."

The wild little man spun around, caught sight of the Baron, and vanished with an audible pop as the Bloody Baron glided through the wall of the dormitory and disappeared. Once he was gone, Colin and Scorpius hopped off their beds and ran over to Albus.

"Are you okay?" Colin asked.

"I think so," Albus said, only to wince at a pain in his shoulder as Colin pulled him to his feet.

"You don't look okay," Scorpius said. "Let's go see Madam Pomfrey before we head down to breakfast."

Just then, though, their bookish dormmate came back into the room.

"What are you guys doing?" he asked. "Classes start in five minutes, and you're not even dressed yet."

Upon hearing this, Colin and Scorpius scrambled to get themselves dressed, and then helped Albus do likewise. They then gathered their schoolbooks (although they didn't quite know which classes they had since they had missed breakfast and didn't have their course schedules) and left the dormitory together. They reached the entrance hall in time to see Chane and a black-haired girl with glasses chivvying students out of the Great Hall. The three approached, and Chane turned around.

"There you are. I'm surprised I didn't see you at breakfast," he said. "Hurry up and get to class, or you'll be late."

"We don't even know what classes we have," Scorpius said. "Then you should've woken up and made it down to breakfast," the dark-haired girl said from behind them.

"I'm sure they have a good explanation for missing breakfast, Delilah," Chane said.

"We woke up to a wild-looking little man banging our bedposts with a Beater's bat," Albus said. "When we tried to leave, he wouldn't let us, so I ended up trying to tackle him and slammed my shoulder against the door when he disappeared."

"That would be Peeves. This isn't the first time he's invaded the dormitories. We'll have to let the Bloody Baron know. He's the only one Peeves will listen to," Chane said.

"He already knows," Al said. "He glided into our dormitory and scared Peeves off."

"He's taken to haunting all four Houses now and again, the Baron has, especially since Peeves started tormenting students in their dorms," Chane said, and turned to Albus. "You get to the hospital wing and have Madam Pomfrey look at that shoulder, then get to class as soon as possible. These are your schedules." He handed Scorpius, Al, and Colin pieces of parchment with their classes written on them.

"Can we go with Al to the hospital wing?" Scorpius asked. Chane glanced back over his shoulder, perhaps to see if Delilah was within earshot, and whispered "Go ahead, but make sure you get to class as soon as you can."

The three traipsed up the marble staircases to the third floor and down a long corridor to the hospital wing, and entered. Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, came out of her office and saw them.

"Shouldn't you three be in class?" she asked gently.

"My shoulder's hurt," Al said. "I tried to tackle Peeves, and ended up hitting the door of our dormitory instead."

"Dear, dear, let's take a look," Madam Pomfrey said, motioning for Albus to take a seat on one of the beds which filled the room.

Madam Pomfrey spent so much time fussing over Albus's shoulder, despite the fact that it was only severely bruised, that by the time she finished, he, Colin, and Scorpius were severely late for Charms, so they decided to head back to the common room. However, as they headed down through the empty entrance hall and into the dungeons, Albus became aware of a tickling sensation on the back of his neck, and came to a stop about halfway down a long corridor that led from the stairs to the entrance hall.

"What's wrong, Al?" Scorpius asked.

"I think someone's following us," Al said.

A soft thumping shuffle reached their ears, and before they could figure out what to do, the strangest – and scariest looking man Albus had ever seen came into view. The man's hair and skin were pure white, and his eyes were a bloodshot red. He carried a long cane, which made a thump each time that it hit the ground, and he walked with a pronounced limp that made his stride more of a shuffle than anything else.

"And where would you three be going?" the man asked in a voice which sent chills down Al's spine. "I believe you three have Charms this morning with Professor Flitwick, and, although I have not been here long, my knowledge of this castle is sufficient to tell me that you are going in the wrong direction."

"W-we forgot our books," Al squeaked out, and he wasn't surprised when the man saw through his excuse.

"You must be the newest Mr. Potter. I have already had many run-ins with your elder brother and those two other hooligans he calls his friends," the man said. "I ---" he suddenly cut off and began to twitch as if hit by some invisible spell, and quickly swooped off in the opposite direction, shouting "I'm coming, my pet. Don't let them get away."

"Well, that was extremely odd," Scorpius drawled, getting a laugh from Colin and Al.

"Let's get going," Al said. They started walking again, but suddenly a bell rang upstairs in the castle.

"That's the end of class bell. Looks like we've got to get to Defense Against the Dark Arts," Al said.

He, Scorpius, and Colin turned around and headed back the way they had come, but when they neared the stairs leading up to the main floor, they discovered that someone had blocked off the passageway with a stone wall, forcing them to take a detour and find another way to make it back to the ground floor. By the time they made it to the classroom where Defense Against the Dark Arts was being taught, the teacher, a tall woman with curly reddish-blonde hair, was already addressing the class. Al, Scorp, and Colin slipped into the classroom as quietly as they could, and found seats at the back of the room, but Al thought he saw the teacher glance at them out of the corner of her eye before turning back to face the rest of the class.

"My name is Professor Edgecombe, and this is Defense Against the Dark Arts, where you will learn the practical and theoretical means of defending yourselves against all types of dark magic. You should all have a copy of 'The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection'. Take them out now, and turn to the chapter on 'basic defensive spells'. Once you have read the chapter, please find a partner and practice defending yourself according to the guidelines and information in the book. I, meanwhile, would like to speak to Albus Severus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, and Colin Rowley in my office," she said.

Feeling very confused, Albus, Scorpius, and Colin got up from their seats and followed Professor Edgecombe into her office.

"I understand that you've had a very busy morning, gentlemen; missing your Charms class to take a trip up to the hospital wing for an injury to Mr. Potter's arm," she said, glaring at Albus, who got the feeling from her tone of voice that she either didn't like him, didn't believe that he had actually been hurt, or both. He also noticed something he hadn't before: she had a line of faint scars on her forehead that seemed to spell out a word, although he couldn't quite tell what it was.

"That poltergeist, Peeves, invaded our room this morning, and Al got hurt trying to get him out of the way so we could make it downstairs to breakfast," Scorpius said.

"I am already aware of the story, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Edgecombe said, "and do not need to hear it again. I would, however, like an explanation as to why you felt it was acceptable to be tardy to my class."

"We ran into a few problems getting here, Professor," Colin said.

"Such as? Professor Edgecombe asked.

"Someone had blocked off the passageway ---" Colin started, but Professor Edgecombe cut him off.

"I don't want excuses. As punishment for your tardiness, you are each being assigned an essay concerning the various instruments which can be used in the performance of the dark arts, to be turned in tomorrow. Now, rejoin your classmates and begin the assignment I gave at the start of class."

Al, Scorpius, and Colin got up without a word shuffled out of the office to find that their classmates – both from Slytherin and Gryffindor - had finished the reading and had divided up into pairs. They took their seats and began reading, but by the time Professor Edgecombe came back out of her office and announced that class was over, they had only just barely finished the chapter. As they collected their books and started to exit the class, Professor Edgecombe said "Since you obviously did not get to the practical portion of today's assignment, I'm assigning each of you an essay on the various ways one can defend oneself against the dark arts, to be handed in tomorrow along with the punishment I previously assigned you."

Al, Scorpius, and Colin joined Morgan and shuffled out of the classroom. Once they were out of earshot of Professor Edgecombe, Morgan asked "Where were you guys this morning? You missed owl post."

Before Albus could answer, Scorpius said, "I'm hungry. Let's head down to the Great Hall and get some lunch."

They headed off toward the staircase leading down to the ground floor and, when they reached the bottom, Albus spotted Rose standing outside the Great Hall. He called out "Hi, Rose," and ran over to her, with Scorpius, Colin, and Morgan following.

"Hi, Al," Rose said, waving. "How's your morning been?"

"Crazy," Al said. "Scorp, Colin, and I missed Charms because I hurt my shoulder - I'll tell you the story during lunch, if you can come sit by us – and when we got to Defense against the Dark Arts, Professor Edgecombe called us into her office, lectured us about truancy and about being late to class, and gave us all essays that we have to hand in tomorrow along with our regular work."

They all entered the Great Hall, and Albus saw that, unlike the night before, the students weren't strictly divided amongst the four tables, noting that there were a few Ravenclaws sitting at the Gryffindor table and a few Hufflepuff students sitting at the Ravenclaw table. The fourth table, however, was filled almost exclusively by members of Slytherin. Rose noticed the distinct lack of students from other houses at the Slytherin table, let out a little huff, and followed Al, Scorpius, Colin, and Morgan over, where she sat down next to them, getting a few glances from some of the other students before they went back to their eating.

"Why did you miss Charms, exactly?" Rose asked as she helped herself to some food.

"We woke up to that poltergeist, Peeves, banging a Beater's bat on our bedposts," Al said. "My bedposts, actually. When we tried to leave, he wouldn't let us, and I tried to tackle him so that we could get out. Turns out the little bugger ---" he trailed off as Rose swatted at him and said "Don't swear," but he dodged and continued "--- can disappear, which I found out the hard way when I slammed my shoulder into the door. When we finally made it downstairs, we saw Colin's brother Chane, who's a prefect. He gave Scorp and Colin permission to come with me to the hospital wing, but Madam Pomfrey spent so much time fussing over my shoulder that we all missed Charms" he finished between mouthfuls of sausage and kidney pie.

"How did Professor Edgecombe find out you'd missed Charms, though?" Rose asked.

"There was another prefect, a girl named Delilah, with Chane when we found him and told him the story," Scorpius said.

"Did she have black hair and glasses?" Rose asked. When Albus nodded, she said "That's Delilah Jankes. She's in Ravenclaw, and is a real stickler for rules. I'll bet she's the one who told Professor Edgecombe."

The rest of the lunch period passed in a bit of a haze for Albus, who stuffed his plate in an attempt to compensate for missing breakfast, and before he knew it, he, Scorpius, Rose, Morgan, and Colin were forced to shuffle off to their afternoon classes.

The most notable thing about Albus's afternoon course schedule – Potions – which was a double period with the Ravenclaw first-years - , Transfiguration, and Herbology – was that there wasn't anything that remarkable about it, although he did seem to get a substantial amount of attention from the Potions teacher, Professor Slughorn, who kept asking him questions that he didn't quite know how to answer. Fortunately for him, Rose did, which resulted in Slughorn showing her almost as much attention as he did Al. By the time the period was over, Al and Rose had both ended up earning their respective Houses a total of 50 house points each, which made Albus feel slightly giddy, if a bit confused.

Following their final class of the day – Herbology – Al, Scorpius, Colin, and Morgan stayed after to talk to Neville – Professor Longbottom – who, much to Al's surprise, didn't seem to find anything wrong or surprising about his (Al's) decision to ask the Sorting Hat to put him in Slytherin, and wholeheartedly approved of his friends, including Scorpius, which surprised Scorpius given the disastrous relationship that Neville had had with his father Draco.

Al and his friends chatted with Neville for nearly an hour before heading back up to the castle for dinner. After dinner, they returned to the Slytherin common room and started working on their homework, with Morgan helping the boys complete their regular DADA assignment by letting them borrow some notes she'd taken during the class. This allowed them to spend most of their time working on Edgecombe's 'punishment' essay, so that by the time they finally went up to their dormitory at around 11 o'clock, Al was feeling quite happy about the way his first day had gone, despite its disastrous beginning. His good mood was helped by the discovery that someone had placed 'Repelling Boxes' - a product developed by Albus's uncle George for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes that was '100% guaranteed to repel anything and everything' – at the foot of their beds.

"What are those things for?" Colin asked as he and the others changed into their pajamas.

"They're called 'Repelling Boxes'," Al said. "You went to Diagon Alley, right? Remember that shop 'Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes'? It's owned and operated by my uncle George. It started out as a joke shop, but now sells all kinds of interesting and useful gadgets as well as jokes. My uncle Ron – who was helping George run the shop for a while, but is now an Auror - developed the 'Repelling Boxes' for use at the Ministry, but they've ended up becoming a commercial success as well. I wonder who bought them and put them in our rooms."

"Hey, we've got flying lessons tomorrow afternoon," Scorpius said, looking at his course schedule. "I hear the new instructor played for Puddlemere United, and doesn't mind letting students get in some Quidditch practice."

"My brother told me they relaxed the rules a bit last year and let him on the house Quidditch team," Albus said with a yawn, "but he was most likely having me on. Still, I wouldn't mind getting some practice in anyway, if what you heard is true. Anyway, night, guys."

He laid back, closed his eyes, and was soon asleep.


End file.
